Thornbury Running Club news

WHEN there are race organisers marketing their events as Might Contain Nuts, it is implied that these are not walk-in-the-park events, and that entrants may have to be that bit more determined, fit or extreme.

This fits both Ros Rowland and Jo Emerson from Thornbury Running Club, who had entered a 43-mile event in the Brecon Beacons on December 3.

The terrain is described as 'mixed trail/mountainous' with 2,800m of ascent.

Fortunately, there was also the option of a near-marathon-distance race (27 miles and just 1,700m of ascent) as Rowland had been under the weather for a couple of weeks and, where others might have decided not to take part at all, she felt comfortable-enough with the distance to be able to take-on 'just' the marathon.

Emerson continued with the original plan and completed the full distance in eleven hours 10.50minutes, seventh female.

The ladies' winner, Janne Guerts, part of the Netherlands international team, finished in just under nine hours and the second female in ten hours 15minutes.

Rowland completed the marathon in six hours 37.15minutes, seventh veteran female with the category winner completing in five hours 6.04minutes, the times indicating the severity of the course.

The Christmas Cracker is a totally different event.

A 10km race, much along Weston-super-Mare's beach is fairly flat but does tend to be in cold, windy conditions.

It attracts some good class athletes and a great many fun-runners who will never have raced the distance previously, and in 2015 raised over £11,000 for Weston Hospice Care.

Fancy dress from a piece of tinsel to the most extreme Christmas costume is encouraged and nearly all runners enter into the spirit of the event.

The 2016 event was run in near perfect conditions with little wind and a good running temperature.

First Thornbury runner home was Andrew Darton; fourth in the M40 category and 22nd overall in a time of 38.17minutes. Kevin Arnold was the only other club member to beat the 50-minute mark, 159th in 45.32minutes.

Jo Williams was the fastest Thornbury lady with a chip time of 50.19minutes and 363rd place although Angela Bushell beat her across the line in 50.30minutes, 329th place, and it was good to see Clare Watt running again, hopefully having solved the injury problems that have dogged her to finish 340th in 50.42minutes.

Joint highest category placing of the day was David Palmer in 765th place, fourth in the M70 age group in 56.37minutes.

Other Thornbury finishers were Hugh McPherson (326th; 50.28minutes), Mike Bennewitz (502nd; 53.44minutes), Arthur Renshaw (583rd; 54.01minutes), John Watt (1275th; one hour 4.04minutes), Anne Palmer (1540th; one hour 10.32minutes), and Magda Johnson (1579th; one hour 11.43minutes).

Choosing Cotswold country lanes over sea breezes, Janet Gaze took part in the Westonbirt Christmas 10k where she finished 2nd in the VF60 age group in 59.34minutes.

Very few club athletes were able to fit-in a parkrun; at Stonehouse Tom Usherwood knocked almost half-a-minute from his previous week's time to give him another new personal best of 19.32minutes.

Meanwhile son Richard showed that he doesn't need to run with dad to perform well and also reduced his best time, from 25.51minutes to 24.29minutes; a great improvement.

Anne Palmer took the important job of Tail Runner at Chipping Sodbury parkrun, helping the last runner to finish in a time of 45.39minutes.